by Lori Wick
Voices in the entryway, right outside the study door, brought Rebecca to her feet. She needed to discuss this with her father but knew that Travis would be joining them for dinner. Had it been anyone else, she would have asked him to eat with the hands, but for Travis she could put her feelings aside. Indeed, for Travis she would do anything.
Travis’ hand bumped Rebecca’s when he passed her a bowl of potatoes, and their eyes met for just an instant. Just the night before, when they had taken their evening walk, Travis had picked up her hand to help her over some rocks and not let go. Rebecca had not objected, but she had been a little breathless. Was it too soon? Her heart and body told her no, but she had so little experience with men. Her aunt had told her to look at their eyes.
“You can tell a man’s thoughts by his eyes” had been her warning, but Rebecca wasn’t certain what she was looking for. In Travis’ eyes she saw only caring and admiration. Was there something mysterious she should be watching for?
Had Rebecca only known her father’s thoughts, she’d have gone to him for advice. Indeed, there was something to be looked for in a man’s eyes, and Andrew was already seeing it in Travis’. He didn’t object. On the contrary, the whole business was making him feel like himself for the first time in years. Rebecca’s presence had been a strong cathartic to his ailing body. No, he didn’t object to Travis’ courtship of his daughter. However, he hoped that Travis was not in a hurry. Andrew wasn’t ready to lose his daughter just yet—not after 11 years of separation.
“You two going to take a walk tonight?” Andrew asked. Travis looked to Rebecca. She nodded, and Travis turned back to his boss.
“Would you care to join us, sir?”
Andrew’s heart smiled. Oh no, he had no problem with Travis courting Rebecca, no problem at all.
“I believe I’ll retire to the study, but I would like you to come and see me when you return, Travis.”
“All right, sir. Are you finished, Rebecca?”
“Yes.”
Travis watched her rise and felt his heart constrict. Never had he felt like this. She had been on his mind for days, and he knew it was no passing thing. For the first time in his life, he could envision himself married and happy. For the first time he thought there might be a God who looks down on the subjects of earth to give His blessing. However, his position as foreman was only temporary. What could he possibly offer this woman? He was never a man to worship money, but without it he was at his boss’ mercy. Travis realized he could do far worse than Andrew Wagner. It looked as if the older man sanctioned the courting of his daughter, but to what end? Travis was suddenly glad Andrew wanted to speak to him. He had some questions of his own.
“I can’t believe the wildflowers here,” Rebecca said for the second time. “I’ve never seen anything like them. What is this, Travis?” She was pointing to a tall-stemmed flower with a bright purple bloom.
“I don’t know,” he had to admit. “I haven’t lived in Colorado Territory that long.”
Rebecca looked surprised. “I thought you’d lived here for years, like my father. Where did you come from?”
“I’ve lived most of my life in Texas, but I was born in North Carolina.”
“North Carolina? Why, we were practically neighbors!”
Travis smiled. “I never dreamed I’d be on a walk with the girl next door.”
Rebecca’s face grew suddenly serious. “Is that what we’re doing, Travis, walking?”
It was exactly what they were doing, but he understood the deeper question. He stopped now and stared at her. He’d never seen such huge brown eyes, and her skin made his hands ache to touch her.
“When a man like me meets a girl like you, Rebecca, he asks himself what he has to offer. The answer I had to give myself was not very encouraging.”
Rebecca stared back at him. She wanted to say that it didn’t matter. She longed to tell him that she’d live anywhere but felt she’d already been bold enough.
“What part of Texas?”
“Amarillo,” Travis told her with a certain measure of regret. He too wanted to discuss the other subject, but what more was there to say?
“I’ve never been to Texas. What did you do there?”
“I worked as a hand, much like I do now.” He answered her calmly enough, but the mask that suddenly dropped over his face told her to let the matter rest. If Aunt Hannah had witnessed her conversation with one of the ranch hands, it would have given the woman vapors, but Rebecca was only more fascinated and attracted than ever with the good-looking and mysterious Travis Buchanan. None of the men Rebecca had known in the past had even remotely measured up.
She had never felt this way, so delighted and miserable at the same time. Suddenly she remembered that Travis had been at the Double Star only a short time and asked herself if he might just be passing through. It wasn’t that she wanted to leave her father, but she knew how torn she would be if Travis were to leave the ranch.
I’ll go with him, she spoke rashly to herself. I’ll go and be by his side. I’ll keep his house, cook for him, and—Rebecca’s resolve came to a firm halt. Her aunt had pampered her something terrible.
You’re going to have all the things I never had, Rebecca, she would say, and Rebecca, lonely for her father and living in her dream world, would smile and feel content. But now, now that she wanted to be with Travis and take care of him, she wished she’d overridden her aunt’s protests and learned to work around the house. She couldn’t even cook or bake. Lavena had shown her how to dust her bedroom upstairs, but Rebecca had seen that she was slowing the busy housekeeper down.
“I guess we’d better get back,” Travis broke into her thoughts. Rebecca turned without comment and walked by his side. Travis could tell that she was deep in thought, but he had his own musings to deal with.
They were back at the house in less time than either of them expected, and Travis removed his hat to say good night. They stood in the dim entryway and looked at each other for a long time. Both felt that things were unresolved, but neither knew how to fix them. However, one thing was very clear: They both still cared, and emotions were riding them hard. Travis let his eyes roam her face until his gaze centered on her lips. Rebecca’s mouth parted in anticipation, and indeed, Travis would have kissed her had they not heard a noise from behind the study door.
“Good night, Miss Rebecca,” Travis said abruptly, turning away.
“Good night, Travis,” she answered him, and watched as he turned. Not until he had knocked on the door and disappeared inside did she remember her fears. She went into her room, but didn’t ready for bed. She paced until she heard her father’s steps in the hall.
“Sit down, Travis,” Andrew bade him warmly. Guilt washed over the younger man. I’d have taken advantage of your daughter tonight if I’d been given half a chance, yet you trust me to keep company with her. It felt odd to Travis to be contemplating kissing a girl one minute and then sitting calmly with her father the next.
“Did you see the rider who came in this afternoon, Travis?” Andrew asked without preamble.
“Yes, I did. Is there trouble?”
“It’s Grady. He’s laid up in Denver. He wasn’t foolish enough to send money with the man, but I’m starting to worry about both Grady and the money. He didn’t take any of the regular hands with him, and anything could have happened. I haven’t seen a one of them, and Grady’s not a kid anymore.”
“What can I do?”
The question was just enough to tip the scales in Travis’ favor.
“I want you to ride to Denver. I realize you may get snowed out, but I need you to see after Grady and my gold. I don’t relish the idea of acting as my own foreman, but I don’t trust any of the other hands to go to Denver or act in your stead here.”
Travis nodded. He’d rather not leave Rebecca right now, but maybe some time away from her was just what he needed.
“When would you like me to leave?”
“I know tomorrow is Sunday,
but I think you’d better hit the trail. I suspect it’s going to be a cold ride.”
“All right.” Travis stood. “If that’s all, I’d better get some rest.”
Andrew stood as well. “I’m not going to ask you if you’ll be back, because I know that that little girl upstairs is worth far more than any gold Grady has for me.”
Travis’ hat was headed to the top of his head, and its movement slowed only a mite. He carefully put the hat in place and then turned to look his employer in the eye.
“I was hoping to talk to you about that.”
“All right.”
Travis cleared his throat. He’d been given an opening but didn’t know where to begin. He coughed again and stared at the toe of his boot. Rebecca’s face swam into view, and Travis found the courage to say, “I don’t have anything to offer her.”
“That’s the least of my worries,” Andrew told him. “As much as I worried about my sister spoiling her, she doesn’t seem overly concerned with jewels and finery.”
Travis still shook his head. “I don’t even have a place to live, and my family—”
Travis stopped when Andrew’s hand went in the air.
“You’re worrying about things that don’t exist,” Andrew said cryptically. “Go and see to Grady and know that your job is waiting when you return.”
Travis stared at the older man for a moment but could read only honest straightforwardness in his eyes. He was forced to take him at his word.
“Good night, sir.”
“Good night, Travis,” Andrew spoke, and after picking up the lantern, followed him out. He was almost to his bedroom door when he heard Rebecca’s voice.
“Papa?”
“I thought you’d be in bed,” he spoke softly as he walked to her door. The lantern showed that she was still dressed and worried to boot.
“Is everything all right, Papa?”
“Everything is fine, Reba. I’m sending Travis away, but only for a time.”
Rebecca had a sudden fear. “But what if he doesn’t return? What if he never comes back?”
Andrew laid a hand on her cheek. “Now there you are, just like Travis, worrying over things that haven’t happened.”
“Oh, Papa,” Rebecca didn’t understand what he could be talking about.
“Go to bed, Reba. Your father’s not going to do anything to hurt you. Just go to bed, and trust me when I tell you that Travis will be back just as soon as he can.”
5
Travis turned the collar of his coat up a little bit higher, pushed his hat down a little lower, and asked himself how he’d managed to get into this adventure. His whole plan had been to hunker in somewhere for the winter, yet here he was on the trail. There was no snow, but the temperature made the heat of summer seem like a long-ago dream. And all the time, Rebecca’s sweet smile and dark eyes lingered in his mind.
Andrew had been in the stable the next morning, giving him money for the road and all the information Grady had sent him, but he saw no sign of Rebecca. He had no idea which bedroom was hers, but his eyes lingered on every window as he rode from the house. He saw no movement, and it wasn’t many yards later that he’d forced himself to look at the road ahead.
Now he was dropping into a small settlement that appeared to have only four businesses and half as many houses. He wasn’t even certain he could find a room for the night. He was aching for cleanliness and solitude, things a man usually had to pay dearly for, but tonight he hoped only for a hot plate of food and a place out of the cold. He’d been on the road for only two days, but it was beginning to feel like years.
Rebecca wandered around the room, not really seeing the solid wood furniture or the painting of the Rocky Mountains that hung above the huge stone fireplace. The living room was one of her favorite places in the whole house, but today she couldn’t see a thing. The rug beneath her feet had been sent from back East and nearly covered the huge floor. The pattern was intricate, the color a mixture of rich blues and greens, but Rebecca didn’t notice. Travis had been gone a month, and Rebecca was convinced that he was never coming back. It hadn’t snowed yet, but the air was cold and she just knew that he was frozen somewhere. Rebecca was miserable and had convinced herself that the only thing that could comfort her would be to see Travis.
“Rebecca.” Lavena had come to the edge of the room. “Did you want to help me with these cookies?”
Rebecca moved slowly away from the window. “All right, Lavena. I’ll help.”
The housekeeper rolled her eyes but didn’t comment. You’d think she’s gonna die, the way she carries on, she thought ungraciously, but she wasn’t really angry. She led the way into the kitchen and pushed a large bowl across the table.
“Now, just a spoonful at a time, you hear?”
“All right, Lavena.”
The live-in cook watched Rebecca load dough onto the pan and then turned away. The week before she’d forgotten Rebecca couldn’t cook and left her on her own. The cookies had been the size of horses’ hooves and raw in the middle. Not even Biscuit had wanted them, and in Lavena’s opinion that man had no taste at all.
“Where’s Papa?” Rebecca suddenly asked.
“In his study, just like he told you he’d be.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“There’s no use pining, girl,” she added a little more gently.
Rebecca only sighed.
Lavena decided then and there to go into town the next day. She didn’t need much, but she would take Rebecca with her. They worked in silence, the afternoon stretching on. At one point Lavena turned and caught Rebecca’s profile. The line of her chin was more prominent than it had been four weeks ago. She was dropping weight. Turning back to her cutting board Lavena called on Travis, wherever he was, to come home soon.
Everything she told you is a lie. Andrew read the line again and again and then sat back in his desk chair. What had happened to his sister? He hadn’t heard from her since the letter came saying Rebecca had left Philadelphia, and now she opened with this line. The rest wasn’t very long, and he now read that again too.
I never tried to keep her from you. I gave her everything you sent. It was Franklin. He’s mad but won’t admit it. Rebecca is a spoiled child. I gave her everything a girl could dream of and she betrayed me. I tell you it’s all lies, Andrew, all of it. God will get you for what you’ve done.
And that was the end. It wasn’t even signed. Andrew shook his head. Should he respond? Would she even open a letter from him? He knew Rebecca had yet to write to her.
And Travis. What could be keeping him for a month? Why, they hadn’t even had snow yet. Andrew shook his head. Could he have been that wrong? He’d seen the young cowboy’s eyes. He was honest; Andrew was certain of it. And the way he’d looked at Reba …
Again Andrew shook his head. He had to be right. He simply had to be. Rebecca had been pushing her food around her plate for over a week now. That man simply had to come back. Andrew pushed himself to his feet and walked to the window. He would welcome the beauty of the snow on the mountains, except that he wanted Travis to return first.
With a hand to the back of his aching neck, he turned to the desk. His sister’s letter was as he’d left it. Oh, yes, he wanted Travis to return, not for the money—for Rebecca. But for now, it was time for Andrew to find out from Rebecca what his sister was afraid she would tell.
Denver
“I’m back,” the sheriff commented, but Travis remained silent, his feet planted firmly apart, his expression remote. He’d been in a Denver jail cell for over a week and had little to say.
“I talked to your friend, Grady,” the sheriff told him. “He’s certainly in a bad way.”
Travis remained silent.
“He backs up your story about Andrew Wagner.” The sheriff spoke as he made himself comfortable in the desk chair. “Says he gave you the money and all, but I still haven’t heard from Texas.”
Travis sighed; he couldn’t take any more. “H
ow many times do I have to tell you that I have never run from the Texas law? There is no wanted poster out on me.”
“Then how do you explain this?” The sheriff lifted the handbill from the desktop, and Travis’ face stared back at him.
“There’s nothing to explain.” Travis tried to remain calm as he repeated the same argument. “It says the man’s name is Hank Randall. Mine is Travis Buchanan. Grady must have told you that.”
“Well, that doesn’t make it true,” the lawman reasoned. “Even if you did tell Grady that was your name, how would he know the difference?”
Travis dropped away from the bars and lowered himself onto the lone bunk. It was preposterous. He was not Hank Randall. The facial resemblance was striking, but he was not a wanted man. And the man’s description was right on the wanted poster—5'8" with a medium build. But Sheriff Turlock was not taking any chances. He thought he had a killer on his hands, and he was going to hold onto him.
Why in the world had he stayed around an extra day? Travis had asked himself this question a dozen times, but he already knew the answer. Grady would probably never sit up in bed again, let alone ride a horse and manage the Double Star. Travis’ heart had gone out to him, even though he was convinced that an act of fate had settled the man in a comfortable home and not on the streets.
Travis had found Grady at the home of an older woman just hours after arriving in town. The woman turned out to be a distant cousin of Grady’s, and although she seemed almost as frail as her patient, he could see that Grady was in good hands. Grady had been gored by a bull, not once but several times. The foreman had lost consciousness, but witnesses had told him that he’d been tossed like a rag doll for several seconds. It was nothing short of a miracle he was alive.
Equally amazing was the fact that he had had every dime of Andrew’s money in his pocket, and it had not been stolen. When Travis arrived, Grady asked his cousin to fetch the full amount from the bank, and he paid Travis every cent. Travis had left, but his conscience had bothered him. Andrew had given no such order, but Travis felt a need to help the older man. He’d gone back the next day to give Grady an amount he thought the owner of the Double Star would think fair. It was as he left the two-story home for the second time that he’d come face-to-face with Turlock’s gun.
